


Your Time Is Up

by Apparentlynotreallyfinnish



Series: Rhink ficlets [8]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Girlfriends/No Wives, Angst, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 15:43:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20176750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apparentlynotreallyfinnish/pseuds/Apparentlynotreallyfinnish
Summary: Rhett meets a mysterious stranger that is revealed to be someone very close to him. The man has an important message for Rhett.





	Your Time Is Up

There was an old man sitting in front of their studios when Rhett drove into the lot. He sat on the pavement, not far from the unassuming side door that they used as their main entrance. At first, Rhett thought he might have been a homeless person. But as he walked up to him, he thought again. His hair was long, wavy and grey, as was his beard but both were styled and cut neatly. He had on clean clothes albeit a bit weird ones. 

He smiled as he saw Rhett approaching and started to get up. He was holding onto his back and made a soft sound of pain, something that was a mix of a huff and a moan. Rhett hurried to him. 

“Oh gosh. Here, let me help you,” he said grabbing the man’s arm and pulling him up with a groan of his own.

“Thanks, shouldn’t have sat down like that but I was too early and… You’ll know how it goes soon enough,” the man muttered and straightened himself to his full length. Rhett was surprised to find them almost at eye level.

“Can I help you with somet- ?” he was saying when the man’s bespectacled eyes found his. Rhett stepped back and drew a sharp breath. He had to be dreaming. The man smirked at him. The movement of his lips was familiar but still strangely backwards somehow.

“Hmm. I thought I was dumber then. Nice to know I was wrong,” the man said with a low chuckle.

“Wha-? Is this a prank?” Rhett asked and stepped back closer. His gaze roamed the features of the man’s face.

“No. But I would think that as well. I mean…you… yeah, you’ll get that eventually.”

Rhett’s hand rose and he almost touched the man’s face but at the last second decided against it. It felt like a violation. Too strange.

“I – I can’t. This is insane. Are you like a lost relative or something? A stray McLaughlin?” Rhett asked laughing awkwardly. The man smirked again and shook his head.

“I guess I celebrated too early… No, dummy. I’m you.”

Rhett threw his head back and laughed. He had to. What else could he do? The whole thing made no sense. It had to be a prank.

“The make-up is amazing. Who did this? Is this for a video? Where are the cameras?” Rhett asked and looked around. The parking lot was silent and empty. 

Something akin to dread started bubbling up in Rhett’s chest. He swallowed and turned to look at the man again. He just stood there and stared at Rhett, faint annoyance painting his face.

“When we were fourteen, we were obsessed with Keanu Reeves. Point Break had just come out. That was the first guy we jerked to.”

Rhett took a trembling step backwards. He had _never_ told that to anyone. Not a soul knew. No one else but him.

“Fuck.” The curse came from deep within his chest and hung heavy between them. The man – him? – nodded.

“I know. It’s a lot to take in. And I don’t have a lot of time. I shouldn’t be here.”

“You’re me?”

“I’m you.”

“From the future.”

“That’s how aging works, yes.”

“Fuck.”

“You already said that.”

“I don’t…”

“Yeah, yeah… Amazing. Incredible. Time travel. Wow. Anyway, I came to tell you…”

“What are you talking about? I don’t – This is not real!” Rhett was stepping back now. He needed to get away. He was losing his mind.

“No!” the older man grabbed his wrists with surprising strength. “Listen to me! I just said I don’t have much time. And I’m gonna be in trouble when I go back. So, I need you to listen and do as I say.”

The man’s eyes were intense and vulnerable. _My eyes._ Rhett swallowed down a sob. He felt like he was slowly falling to pieces. The reality around him was crumbling and he with it. But he nodded because the man seemed to be waiting for an answer.

“You need to tell him. Today.”

“What?” Rhett asked, more confused than before. “Tell who?”

“Link.”

Rhett’s heart skipped a beat. Now he was listening. The man chuckled.

“That got your attention, didn’t it? Okay, now listen closely. You tell him how you feel. Today.”

Rhett felt his cheeks burning and he averted his eyes. The man sighed.

“You do realize you don’t have to be embarrassed. I love him like you do. More probably – since I’ve had like forty more years to develop my feelings.”

“I just… I can’t. It’s not that easy. He doesn’t…”

“He will. Not right away. But I promise. He will. But you have to do it today.”

“What? Why?”

“He meets her tomorrow. I figured it out. I’m sure, okay? Tomorrow they meet and it’s all over. Unless you plant the seed today.”

“I can’t just walk up to him and…and… I don’t know?! Blurt it out?”

“Of course you can. We’ve done it before!”

“Not with _him_!”

The man shook his head. “Don’t I know it,” he murmured more to himself and his gaze flitted somewhere far away for a moment. He looked pained.

“So, in the future, we’re not…?” Rhett asked quietly.

“No.”

Rhett’s shoulders slumped and a whimper fell from his lips. It should’ve made him embarrassed but he was well beyond that now.

“I know. I’m sorry. We always thought that one day… But that day never comes. He marries her. They’re reasonably happy. He won’t…” the man’s voice broke suddenly. He closed his eyes and a lone tear burst from between his lids. He took in a shaky breath before continuing. “But you can change that. _Tell him._”

The man took Rhett’s hands on his own and squeezed tight.

“Promise me. Promise yourself. No more hemming and hawing. No more second guessing. Just say the words. Deal with the consequences. Hope for a better tomorrow. For you.”

Rhett held on tight. Stared at himself in the eyes and fought the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes.

“I promise.”

“Good.” The man relaxed considerably. He glanced at a strange looking watch-like apparatus on his wrist.

“I have to go soon. I was just hoping…” he muttered and his gaze flitted to the driveway.

“What’s gonna happen to you?” Rhett realized suddenly. “If I manage to change it?”

The man smiled a small, knowing smile but shook his head.

“Can’t tell you. You’ll know in time.”

A car drove into the lot and both of them whipped to watch it park next to Rhett’s car. Link opened the door and was looking at them curiously.

“Good morning!” he hollered and waved at them.

“Keep your promise,” the man whispered and turned to walk towards Link. He looked back after a few steps. ”I’m sorry to rob this first one from you. But you’ll have plenty later… I hope.”

Rhett had only a moment to feel confused by his words. He watched as the man took a few running steps and crashed into Link who’d just gotten out of his car. Link huffed in surprise but had no time to react otherwise. The man’s hands gently cupped his face and pressed a desperate kiss on his lips. When they parted he said something to Link. Rhett didn’t hear what it was but he saw Link’s confused expression.

The man turned, pressed his hand on his chest, smiled at Rhett and disappeared.

They both stared at the spot he’d stood in.

“What the crap?!” Link uttered. His eyes rose from the pavement to Rhett who was walking towards him with purpose.

“What did I – I mean what did he say to you?” Rhett asked his stunned best friend.

“He said… ‘I’m sorry. I had to do this, just this once’.”

Rhett let out a short laugh – _the cheek of him_ – but then he felt a pang of pain for his older self. He wondered briefly what kind of existence he’d catapulted back into.

“What is going on?” Link asked stepping closer to Rhett. Rhett met him in the middle and took his hand. Link watched in amazement as their fingers intertwined together.

“Let’s go inside. I need to talk to you about something.”


End file.
